Quality Protein Maize(QPM)-Enhances Nutrition Security Maize has a significant importance in the diets of rural Ethiopia and presently penetrated into urban centres. Despite its increased consumption, however, it is known to be of poor protein nutritional quality. As a result, many chronically undernourished people live in areas where maize is the staple food. This is of concern because the conventional maize varieties are inefficient in two essential amino acids, tryptophan and lysine, that people must get from food because they cannot synthesize them. Protein malnutrition mostly occurs among children where maize and other cereals dominate crop production and consumption. Therefore, substituting the conventional maize varieties with quality protein maize (QPM) varieties would substantially improve the protein status and greatly reduce the protein energy malnutrition problems. QPM doubles the two limiting amino acids in maize making it approach the protein nutritional quality of casein milk. It contains 90% the protein quality of casein milk while the conventional varieties contain 40% of it. However, in many parts of the country, QPM hybrids less adopted and remained unknown while the varieties have comparable yield performances with the conventional hybrid varieties. Knowing this, the Haramaya university CASCAPE project has introduced and tested BH-661 QPM varieties along with the conventional ones in order to address the problems of food and nutrition security in Habro Woreda of West Hararghe Zone. The project followed participatory action research approach to evaluate yield performances and farmers’ preferences for the varieties. As a result, after intensive evaluation and pre-scaling activities, BHQPY-545 one QPM variety (BHQPY-545) and one conventional hybrid variety (BH-661) were selected for wider scaling up in the Woreda. Both varieties produced higher grain yields (> 8 tonnes ha-1) compared with other improved and local varieties. Moreover, variety BHQPY-545 was preferred due to its tolerance to moisture stress, higher number of ears (two - three) plant-1, and its suitability for relay cropping with teff/chickpea and cropping in the hedge rows of Khat. On the other hand, variety BH-661 was preferred owing to its higher stover yield, which is an important feed for livestock. Nutritional importance of BHQPY-545 than common maize It has a protein quality not only higher than that of common maize, but also significantly higher than that of other cereal grains. Compared with traditional maize types, QPM has twice the amount of lysine and tryptophan, as well as protein bioavailability that rivals milk casein. Therefore, QPM:  improves nutritional status of individuals and alleviate the protein energy malnutrition and significantly contribute to better nutrition  Helps to reduce nutrition related diseases, like anemia, pellagra and significantly improve health  Great stride in providing maize with better nutrition to the resource-poor who cannot afford meat, milk and/egg in their daily diet. Type of foods produced from BHQPY-545  Injera: fermented thin flat bread like honey comb,  Bread: thick dough and ferment for about 4–6 hrs. Then the dough is baked on a clay griddle.  Nefro: boiled green cob or dry whole grain in a pot until it is soft  Kitta: mixed maize flour with water and baked, it is an unfermented product.  Roasted maize: green cob is roasted directly on the glowing fire  Genfo (stiff porridge): mixed flour with boiling water and cooked until it retains the right consistency and flavor  Complementary foods with other locally grown crops for infants and young children. Who will be benefited?  Pregnant and lactating mother  Young children and adults  Elders Boqqoolloon Pirootiiniin Badhaadhe Furmaata Hanqina Nyaata Madaalawaati Rakkoon hanqina nyaataa fi nyaata madaalawaa biyya Itiyoophiyaa kana keessatti beekamaadha. Nyaata madaalawaa jechuun nyaata gosa hundumaa kan humnaa fi ho’iinsa kennan, dhukkuba nama irraa ittisan, jabina qaamaa fi sammuu eegan kan of-keessaa qabu jechuudha. Harargee keessatti hanqinni nyaata madaalawaa kan jabina qaamaa fi ijaarsa sammuuf fayyadan akkasumas dhukkuba ittisan heddumminaan beekama. Keessumaa ammoo nyaatni isaanii yeroo hedduu midhaan akka boqqoolloo fi mishingaa irratti kan hundaa’eef rakkoon hanqina nyaata madaalamaa cimaadha. Rakkoo hanqina nyaataa fi nyaata madaalawaa kana furuuf Haramayaa Yunivarsiitiitti projeektiin CASCAPE gosa boqqoolloo foooyya’aa prootiiniin badhaadhe (BHQPY-545) fi kan biros (BH-661) godina Harargee bahaa aanaa Habroo keessatti qorachuun bu’a-qabeessummaa isaanii mirkaneessee jira. Gosti boqqoolloo BHQPY-545 jedhamu kun gosa prootiinii qaamni nama omishuu hin dandeenye laaysinii fi triiptoofaan jedhamaniin kan badhaadhe yoo ta’u kunis pirootiinii aannan keessatti argamu waliin yoo madaalamu 90% ta’a. Gosti boqqoolloo BHQPY-545 fi BH-661 kunniin omishti isaanii heektara tokkorraa kuntaala 80 yoo ta’u sababa adda addaatiin qonnaan bulaadhaan baay’ee kan jaalatamanidha. Gosti BHQPY-545 dafee kan gahu, hanqina roobaa kan dandamatu, mataa lamaa hanga sadii kan dhalu, shunburaa/xaafii jala facaasuuf akkasumas kataaraa jimaa gidduutti omishuuf mijaawaa waan ta’eef qonnaan bulaadhaan daran jaalatama. Gosti BH-661 ammoo omisha qaraa hedduu waan qabuu fi waan miyaa’uuf qoonqoo looniitiif baay’ee barbaadamaadha. Walumaagalatti, gosti BH-661 wabii nyaataa mirkaneessuu fi hanqina qoonqoo loonii furuuf barbaachisaa yoo ta’u gosti BHQPY-545 wabii nyaataarra darbee hanqina nyaata madaalawaa furuuf gahee guddaa taphatu. Gosti boqqoolloo BHQPY-545 qaama namaaf faayidaa addaa maal qaba?  Amiinoo asiidii qaama namaaf barbaachisaa ta’e garuu qaamni namaa qopheessuu hindandeenye akkasumas midhaan fi agadaa gosa biroo keessaa hin argamne of-keessaa qaba.  nyaatni gosa boqqoolloo kana irraa qophaa’u dhibeewwan /dhukkuba hanqina nyaata madaalawaa keessumaa kan pirootiinii dhabuu irraa namatti dhufan ni dhorka  Fayyummaa, cimina qaamaa fi sammuu daa’immanii akkasumas kan ijoollee ijaaruuf faayidaa guddaa qaba Gosa nyaataa boqqoolloo BHQPY-545 irraa qophaa’u  Akkuma gosa boqqoolloo kan biroo affeelamuun akka shummoo tti ni nyaatama  Ibidda irratti waadamee ni nyaatama  Goggoysanii daakuudhaan qofaa isaatti ykn daakuu midhaan gosa biroo waliin nyaata daa’immanii (keessumaa baatii 6 hangaa waggaa lamaa kan jiraniif), dubartoota garaa qabanii fi harma hoosisaniif bifa marqaa yookiin ‘muuqiitiin’ yoo kenname faayidaa ol-aanaa qaba  Biddeena,daabbo, qixxaa,shuuroo fi nyaata gosa biroo irraa qopheessuun soorachuun ni danad’ama Nyaata dabalataa daa’immaniif Boqqoolloo BHQPY-545 fi midhaan gosa biroo irraaaraddaalee Bareedaa fi Harocarceritti daa’immaniif qophaa’e For more information, please visit the website: www.cascape.info Contact: Dr. Nigussie Dechassa, Regional CASCAPE Coordinator, E-mail: [email protected]; Tel. : +251(0)-255530324 Or Dr. Mengistu Ketema, Regional Assistant CASCAPE coordinator, E-mail: [email protected]; Tel.: +251(0)-911793180